Showroomers are a retailer's secret weapon according to research from Aimia
MONTREAL, Sept. 25, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ – Showroomers exhibit more loyal
behaviour than non-showroomers, making them an ideal target for
retailers, according to a study from Aimia, a global leader in loyalty
management. Retail showrooming behaviour, whereby consumers browse for
items in-store before using their smart phones to find a lower price
online, is propelled by Millennials (age 19-29) with at least
two-thirds of showroomers coming from that generation. However,
according to Aimia’s “Through the Looking Glass” retail brief released today, showroomers are also active participants
in loyalty and reward programs, thus making them an undervalued
consumer audience for retailers.
“Showroomers are more likely to participate in loyalty programs, are
more willing to trade personal details for rewards, and are more
interested in mobile commerce,” said Rick Ferguson, Vice President,
Knowledge Development, Aimia. “Retailers should take advantage of these
behaviours to transform showroomers to become loyal – and paying –
customers.”
Retailers have an opportunity to harness showroomers’ greater
willingness to engage in reward program memberships. Aimia’s research
shows the typical Canadian showroomer is male, owns at least two
digital devices, is highly active in social media, and is excited by
mobile commerce. The research also found Canadian showroomers are:
-
17% more likely than a non-showroomer to participate in a retail reward
program membership -
35% more likely to participate in a financial services reward program
membership - 88% more likely to participate in a travel reward program membership
-
10 times more likely than non-showroomers to respond to a location-based
mobile offer
“The solution to embracing showrooming behaviour lies in retailers
leveraging their shopping data to get consumer insights that will help
shape their marketing strategies and drive in-store purchases,” said
Mr. Ferguson. “The tools of loyalty management provide unparalleled
insight that can help retailers reinvent retail and build stronger
relationships with consumers.”
Retailers can influence showroomers by leveraging the tools of loyalty
management including:
-
Using hard benefits to reward desired behaviour – offer in-the-midst showroomers to join your rewards program with a
rich bonus offer on their first purchase -
Linking soft benefits to upper-tier smart phone users – identify showroomers within the upper tier of your most valuable
customers, and lavish them with soft benefits such as exclusive access,
special benefits, experiential rewards, location-based offers and other
privileges that resonate with your target audience -
Steal the online thunder – offer a showrooming app through your own loyalty program, allowing
you to hold on to customer insights -
Deploying an aggressive partner strategy – work with and share opt-in data with partners and suppliers to combat
showrooming together
Aimia’s “Through the Looking Glass” retail brief provides a glimpse of the future of retail – one that
embraces showroomers, leverages customer data to build loyalty, and
uses the tools of recognition and reward to change behaviour. To
download the complete retail brief and related infographic, please
visit: https://www.aimia.com/English/Knowledge/Research-Center/default.aspx.
About The Retail Brief
Aimia’s “Through the Looking Glass” retail brief was based on data previously collected for the Millennial
Loyalty Survey conducted by Harris Interactive from 2,045 adults ages
19 and older in Canada between July 8 and July 19, 2011. Figures were
weighted to be representative of the general population. Figures for
the United Kingdom and United States markets are also available within
the retail brief.
About Aimia
Aimia Inc. (“Aimia”) is a global leader in loyalty
management. Aimia’s unique capabilities include proven expertise in
delivering proprietary loyalty services, launching and managing
coalition loyalty programs, creating value through loyalty analytics
and driving innovation in the emerging digital and mobile
spaces. Aimia owns and operates Aeroplan, Canada’s premier coalition
loyalty program and Nectar, the United Kingdom’s largest coalition
loyalty program. In addition, Aimia has majority equity positions in
Air Miles Middle East and Nectar Italia as well as a minority position
in Club Premier, Mexico’s leading coalition loyalty program and
Cardlytics, a US-based private company operating in merchant-funded
transaction-driven marketing for electronic banking.
Aimia is a Canadian public company listed on the Toronto Stock
Exchange (TSX: AIM) and has over 3,400 employees in more than 20
countries around the world. For more information about Aimia, please
visit www.aimia.com.
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/aimiainc.
Image with caption: “Aimia’s Millennial Loyalty Survey reveals a detailed look at the typical retail showroomer in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. (CNW Group/AIMIA)”. Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120925_C9271_PHOTO_EN_18453.jpg
SOURCE: AIMIA
Contact:
Edelman: Tom Sargent +1-416-849-8930 thomas.sargent@edelman.com
Aimia: Christa Poole +1-416-352-3745 christa.poole@aimia.com